Thore Ingvar Sjöstrand (July 31, 1921 – January 26, 2011) was a Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 athlete, winner of 3000 m steeplechase

Steeplechase (athletics)

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...

 at the 1948 Summer Olympics

1948 Summer Olympics

The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...

. He was born in Danmark, Uppsala

Uppsala

- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...

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After the Finnish

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 domination in 3000 m steeplechase before the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the Swedes rose into the top competition during the war and were the dominant force just after the war as they took the top three places at the 1946 European Championships and at the London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 Olympics

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

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Tore Sjöstrand from Huddinge rose into the international athletics scene after winning a bronze medal at the 1946 European Championships. At the London Olympics the three Swedes Sjöstrand, Erik Elmsäter

Erik Elmsäter

Fritz Erik Elmsäter was a Swedish athlete who competed mainly in the 3000 metre steeple chase....

 and Göte Hagström

Göte Hagström

Ernst Göte Hagström is a former Swedish athlete who competed mainly in the 3000 metre steeplechase. He was born in Gagnef....

 were head long over the rest of the field. With an astonishing last lap of 69.6, Sjöstrand won the race, beating world record

World record

A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...

 holder Elmsäter by 3.6 seconds.

At the 1950 European Championships, Sjöstrand managed to finish only eighth and decided to retire from sports after that.